There are 391 parks, preserves, historical parks and battlefields, monuments, historic sites, memorials and other units that are part of the National Park Service of the United States in 2009. They attracted about 275 million visitors in 2007.

During the past six years, we have prepared a series of more than 325 pages of feature articles and photographs about the activities, the environment, scenic rivers and recreation areas, the unusual places, monuments, historical sites, cultural heritage, museums, nearby places, and the people of Our National Parks. We hope you will find them interesting and worth reading.

Our Spring project this year looks at the most popular parks and historic sites of the San Francisco Bay area, and several of the leading sites in the New York City area. This is our second group visit to San Francisco. Our work will appear on the site by mid May.

We visited the U.S. Virgin Islands National Park on St. John Island, the National Mall in Washington, D.C., Biscayne National Park, Everglades National Park, and the Big Cypress National Preserve in South Florida for our Fall 2008 travel project.

Finally, we remind our readers that the information in these articles was current when it was posted, but information may have changed as time passes. Each article that we prepare has a posting date at the top right of the story page. Always check for changes in fees, hours of operation, dates, and other information at each park before traveling.

Featured Parks and Locations

	The U.S. Virgin Islands National Park. During a recent trip to St. Thomas and St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands, we visited the national park and national monument that are centered on St. John Island. We focus on activities for visitors to the park, such as snorkeling, exploring the secluded beaches, hiking the trails around St. John, and we look at the people and places of the islands. Among our stories and photos are looks at the unique history and cultural offerings of the Cruz Bay area.
	San Francisco Bay area national parks and areas. In Spring 2008, we visited many of the national parks, recreation areas, and historic sites of the San Francisco Bay area. We focus on world-known locations such as Alcatraz, the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Muir Woods, Point Reyes National Seashore, the area's maritime history, and San Francisco's remarkable history and unique cultural offerings.
	Issues and problems facing Our National Parks. This section of our Web site examines many of the most pressing issues and problems that involve our national parks at both the national and regional levels. A new set of stories has been added in Spring 2008 and we continue to offer our work from spring 2007. In these reports, we talk to park officials and experts about funding, safety, access, staffing, attendance, volunteerism, animals and plants, development, conservation, and preservation.

Photos above left by Bruce Garrison and Vincent Daniello; above right courtesy of the National Park Service.